Candy: My Jasper Omega BFF
by Sweets Omega
Summary: This is the story of how I first became friends with Candy.


One morning when I was a pup, I was with the rest of the Omega pups my Mom was watching. We were all playing and tussling, as pups do, when I suddenly heard someone starting to cry in the bushes nearby. I instantly stopped what I was doing and went over to investigate. Even then, knowing someone was upset bothered me - I simply _**had**_ to help them!

I followed the sound, and sitting there was a greyish-white girl pup, right about my age. She'd just been brought to our group that day. I thought for a moment, then remembered her name: Candy. By this time, she was nearly wailing. "My furrrr . . ." she sobbed, tears pouring from her dark amber eyes and rolling down her little muzzle.

As I got closer, I laid my ears back, feeling sorry for her. "Awww . . . what's wrong, Candy?"

She jumped in obvious surprise and let out a little squeak, holding a paw to her chest. "Oh! You startled me! Ummm . . . 'Sweets', right?" She looked at me for a moment or two, then seemed to come to a decision. "Well, Sweets - can you keep a secret?"

I nodded, smiling. "I've been told that's one of the things I'm best at." I sat beside her and gently put a paw on her shoulder. "Tell me all about it, Candy. I'll at least listen. And maybe I can help . . ." I gave her my most encouraging smile.

She sniffled and blinked away what was left of her tears. "_**THIS**_ is what's wrong . . ." She turned her head so I could see the back of it. I blinked in amazement - she had the most beautiful brownish-blonde head-fur I'd ever seen! But . . . there, in the middle of the fur on the back of her head was a knot. She turned her face back toward me. "I was play-wrestling with Suzy when I felt my fur knot up. I ran and hid back here. I can't be seen like this!" She started crying again.

I gave her a hug, patting her back with a paw. "There, there, Candy . . ." I had a sudden thought - I pulled away to look her in the eyes. "I have an idea. Do you trust me?"

She frowned. "Trust you? We only just met this morning . . ." Her tears slowed again as she looked into my eyes. A small smile came across her muzzle. "It's strange, but . . . yes. I trust you, Sweets. I can sense that I can."

I nodded and smiled, my little tail wagging happily. "Good. Now - turn around, please. I need to get at that knot."

"Well . . . okay, but I don't know what you could possibly do . . ." She did as I'd asked.

I looked it over carefully. "Now that I really look at it, it's not that bad . . . Okay now, Candy. Hold still . . ." I started licking the knotted area.

She started to jerk away, her nose wrinkled in disgust - "Ewww! What are you _**DOING,**_ Sweets?!"

I put a paw on top of her head to stop her. "You said you trust me, Candy. Now _**TRUST**_ me, okay?"

She sighed and relaxed again. "All right, Sweets. I just hope you know what you're doing . . ."

I felt a grin forming on my face. "Nope. But that's what makes it fun. Don't you think?"

"Whaaat?!" She started trying to pull away from me again, then heard me start to giggle. Her hackles started to rise. "Ooohhh . . . this is no time to be joking around, Sweets!"

I put my paw back on top of her head. "Just relax, Candy." I reached forward, and with my puppy teeth had the knot combed out in a couple of seconds. "There! That part's done. Now, stay right there . . ."

I went and got a pine-cone from under a nearby tree then came back and put my paw on top of her head again to hold it steady. I brushed her fur until it was neat and dry, then stood back and spat out the cone, surveying my work. "Okay, Candy. All done!" Her fur looked fantastic, if I do say so myself.

She looked nervous. "Are you sure, Sweets? If I get laughed at, I'm _**NEVER**_ talking to you again . . ."

I looked her in the eyes. "You said you trusted me. I never betray trust, Candy."

Her nervousness seemed to melt away, and she pulled her shoulders back and brought her head up. "All right, then - here goes . . ." She walked out from behind the bush. The other pups were still playing, but one by one, they stopped and looked at Candy.

Soon, she and I were surrounded by admiring pups, both males and females. The males were trying to impress us, which was amusing, since none of them was really old enough to know what a girl was yet. The females were all "Oooohhhing and ahhhhing" over Candy's fur, which shone in the morning sun. And of course, they threw some compliments my way, which I graciously accepted.

Candy looked over at me, an ear-to-ear grin on her muzzle. She held out a paw for a pawbump, which I gladly gave her. Then she put a paw on my shoulder, and looking around said "Everyone?" Silence fell as everyone stopped chattering and listened. "Sweets is my best friend from now on!"

A chorus of little barks and howls greeted this news.

Just then, Mom came trotting up to us, obviously wondering what the commotion was about. She looked around at the group, seeming confused at first, but quickly realizing that Candy and I were the centers of attention. Raising an eyebrow, she looked at me as a smile spread across her face.

She motioned for me to follow her, then trotted off behind the bush, and sat. I sat facing her, smiling up at her in self-satisfaction, my tail wagging. She continued smiling at me. "Soooo . . . are you going to tell me what happened, Sweets?"

I grinned at her brightly. "Hee-hee! Sure, Mom!" Then I told her what had happened. As I finished, she looked at me with a new-found respect and admiration in her blue eyes.

"You mean to tell me you actually did a fashion-rescue for Candy?" She smiled and shook her head, still surprised that I could even think of such a thing at my age, let alone do it.

"Yeah, I guess I did, huh? Well, I wasn't about to let her have to go through the day looking like she did with that knot in her fur." I stood and I put my little muzzle up to her ear and whispered "Between you and me, though - it wasn't really that bad, Mom. But it upset her, so I fixed it."

I sat back down, and Mom gathered me up in a hug, her tail wagging. "I'm _**SO**_ proud of you, Sweets!" She nuzzled my face, and I did the same for her.

"Awww . . . thank you, Mom!"

She let me go from the hug, and stood up, smiling, her tail still wagging. "Well, sweetie, we'd best get back out there. I still need to watch what's going on with all of you . . ." She trotted back to where the pups were still gathered around Candy, and I followed. I sat beside Candy, both to share a bit in the adulation, and to give her moral support, just in case it all got to be a bit much for her.

Her and I were almost inseparable as friends from then on.


End file.
